Definition of Family
by Acathla
Summary: Emma goes looking for her biological mother...and she finds something so much more. "Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter." (Anon.) (Swan Queen story )
1. Prologue: Meet Regina

**AN: Hi all! I know there are other stories I need to update but this one came to me and wouldn't let me write anything else until I got this one out. It's a complete AU so there is no curse, no fairytale characters and especially no parents who look like they could be their own childrens' siblings. I changed the ages of our favorite ladies to accommodate this change in aging. Hope I don't disappoint anyone. On with the show. Also, in this chapter Regina is 24. **

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**Prologue: Meet Regina**

_Valentine's Day 2002, New York City_

"Regina Mills, will you marry me?" Daniel James Stableman was down on one knee in the most expensive restaurant in Manhattan asking his girlfriend of two and a half years the most important question he had ever or would ever ask…and waiting for her answer.

Regina's eyes were darting from Daniel's clear, expressive blue eyes to the ring he held, an emerald cut ½ carat diamond flanked by smaller ¼ carat chocolate diamonds on a platinum band, not quite believing what she was being asked. It took her a moment to process that this was really happening and Daniel was really proposing. When it finally sank in, Regina wrapped her arms around his neck as she murmured into his ear, "yes, yes a thousand times yes Daniel!"

The relief he felt at hearing Regina say yes, made Daniel glad he was already on his knees. After a moment of holding Regina close, he pulled away and slowly, reverently, slipped the ring onto her finger, smiling at the sight of it on her hand.

He looked up and saw his fiance smiling through tears of joy and knew he'd never in his life seen anything as beautiful as Regina in his entire life…and he probably never would.

That night, as they entered the apartment they shared in Manhattan's Chelsea district, they barely made it through the door before they were tearing at each other's clothes, determined to continue the celebration of their engagement well into the next day.

* * *

_Two months later…_

Regina was at home, having called in sick from the DA's office where she had been working as a junior Assistant District Attorney for the past year. Regina hadn't been feeling too well the last few days and so she had taken the sick day to test a theory. She'd missed her last two periods and she was starting to feel like a defective type writer. So the night before she had gone out and purchased an at home pregnancy test, knowing Daniel would be working for the next 24 hours so he wouldn't be home to know what she up to. If she _was_ pregnant, she wanted to find a way to surprise him with it. If she wasn't, then she didn't want to get his hopes up only to let him down.

The wedding was scheduled for September, so there was still plenty of time to have her dress altered if she needed to. Honestly, Regina didn't know which outcome she was hoping for, pregnant or not…either way things were going to be different.

Regina sat on the edge of the tub in the bathroom as she waited for the five minutes to pass so she could find out if she's pregnant or not. When the timer finally dinged, Regina took a deep breath then reached for the test stick that was sitting on the sink.

She closed her eyes as she brought it closer and then counted to three before she opened her eyes. The little pink plus sign stared back at her and she let out the breath she'd been holding. She was pregnant.

Regina wasn't sure how to react to that, so she simply left the bathroom and threw herself down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. A million thoughts were running through her head and each one was more confusing than the last…but the one clear thought she had was that she had to tell Daniel.

Daniel was a firefighter for the FDNY and he was on a 24 hour shift that had only started five hours ago. Regina began planning how she would tell him. She'd make his favorite meal, have his favorite beer and then…when the moment was right, she'd tell him. She knew he would be happy, they'd talked about having kids. She just knew that his Catholic mother would prefer her grandchild be born in wedlock but…maybe they could have a quickie civil ceremony with a judge, before the baby came and then have the big Catholic wedding his mother had her heart set on later.

Regina's own mother wouldn't care either way, she wasn't very religious and would welcome her grandchild with open arms. Regina started to feel better about the situation the more she thought about it and she was soon up and out of the house, heading to the corner store to buy the ingredients for Daniel's favorite meal and to stock up on his favorite beer. She wanted everything to be perfect for tomorrow night when he'd be home and she could tell him the news.

* * *

Twelve hours later, Regina was back at home and just relaxing in front of the television, missing Daniel but knowing she would see him the next morning. She had grown accustomed to the nights he had to spend at the station house, but it didn't make those nights any less lonely.

She was about to grab a glass of apple juice when there was a knock on the door. Frowning, she wasn't expecting anyone today, she walked over to the door and checked the peephole. She saw Daniel's boss standing on the other side of the door. With a strange sense of foreboding, Regina opened the door.

"Captain Johnson, what brings you here? Is Daniel okay?" Regina was now starting to get worried. Captain Ronald Johnson was always smiling…today he looked as serious as a heart attack.

Ron Johnson hated having to be the one who had to do this, it was one of the parts of his job he truly despised. He cleared his throat, "Regina, may I come in?"

"Yes of course Ron." Regina moved aside and let the man walk past her. He was over 6 feet tall with broad shoulders and caramel colored skin. He was clean shaven and had the most compassionate light green eyes (a gift from his Hispanic mother). "What's going on? You're starting to scare me."

He turned to face her. "I'm so sorry Regina. There was a fire at an abandoned warehouse in the Bronx, it was massive and all available units were called to help." He paused a moment, "Daniel was rescuing a little girl whose family was squatting in the building, he managed to push her towards the exit but before he could get out, the roof collapsed on him. I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you Regina, but…he didn't make it. The coroner pronounced him an hour ago. As his next of kin, we need you to come down to the morgue to make an identification." He stopped talking then, as he stepped close enough to catch Regina as she collapsed from the news.

He held her as she cried and did his best to soothe her as she wailed and basically broke down.

Regina was in shock. She was in denial…until she stepped into the morgue and had to see Daniel on the stainless steel table under a sheet. He looked like he was sleeping but she knew better. There was a massive injury to his head and the right side of his shoulder, from where the building's roof had made impact she was told, as well as smudges of soot on his face.

Regina just nodded silently, confirming it was indeed Daniel James Stableman, her fiance of two months and the only man she'd ever loved.

Regina left the morgue and Captain Johnson drove her back home. That night…was the night Regina's whole world was irrevocably changed forever.

* * *

_Three months later…_

At five months pregnant, Regina sat in the back seat of the cab that brought her from the local airport in Portland to the small town of Storybrook, Maine. After Daniel's body had been released, she had arranged his funeral, his mother had offered her input but for the most part it was all Regina.

She had stood there as the FDNY had done their tribute to their fallen brother. She had stood stoically as the priest said the final prayers over the coffin and as the gleaming mahogany box was lowered into the ground, Regina simply placed her hand on her belly where Daniel's baby was growing and offered up a silent apology to the little fetus that he would never know his father.

Regina had told Daniel's mom she was pregnant, not wanting to keep the knowledge of a grandchild from the woman who had already lost her husband and now, her son. His mom explained that she would help Regina in any way she needed but Regina had informed her that she was going to be moving back home to Maine as soon as she could arrange it with her job. New York held too many memories of Daniel and their time together.

She had understood but had also expressed a desire to know her grandchild. Regina agreed that she would always be a part of the baby's life and that she would keep her updated on the pregnancy and send plenty of pictures once the baby was born.

Two months after the funeral, Regina was on a plane to Portland then in a cab to Storybrook. She felt the need to be home, to be near her family and the things she grew up around.

Regina stepped out of the cab in front of the big white house on Mifflin Street and paid the cab driver. He helped her remove her luggage from the trunk and left them on the curb. She watched as he drove away then turned to face the house she'd grown up in.

The door opened and her mother, Cora Mills, stepped out with a smile on her face. She walked up to Regina and hugged her close. "Welcome home Regina."

Before Regina knew it, she was sitting on the bed in her old room, looking around at the posters on the wall and smiling as she remembered her teen years in this room before she left for college in New York. Regina took a deep breath before she placed her hand on her growing belly, "Well baby…we're home, I guess." Regina looked down at her belly then, "I promise I am going to do everything I can to be a great mom to you. And I'm going to tell you everything about your daddy, he was a hero you know, and it's just going to be you and me at first, but we'll make it. I promise."

Regina laid back on the bed and smiled for the first time in almost three months. This was the start of her new life and she was determined to make the best of this not so great situation. She just wished Daniel was here to share it with her.

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**AN2: So there it is. If there's interest in reading more I'll post the next chapter otherwise, it'll stop now. I decided just for this story, to forego the bold dialogue to see how it would look. If any of my usual readers miss the bolding, let me know and I'll change it.**


	2. Welcome to Storybrook---Now Get Out

**AN: So here is the next chapter. Hopefully it doesn't disappoint but for those of you who followed, favorited and reviewed...this one's for you. **

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**Chapter 1: Welcome to Storybrook…Now Get Out**

_March 2012 _

Emma Swan was driving along a very rural road in Maine, the music on low as she listened to the slightly robotic female voice of her GPS unit giving her directions. She had programed the address of the town of Storybrook, Maine's town hall into the GPS, hoping it would keep her from getting lost.

Emma Swan was on a mission. Emma was already 25 years old, but it had taken her the seven years since her 18th birthday to finally get the information she needed…it didn't help that she had gotten sidetracked for a year in a Florida hospital but that was a story for another day. Emma gave a quick glance to the folder on the seat next to her, it contained all the information a hacker friend of hers had managed to find on her birth parents.

Emma had spent the first 6 years of her life with two loving parents, the Swans. They had passed away in a car accident two weeks after her sixth birthday, on their way to pick her up from school. After that, she'd gone into the system, and had spent the next 12 years bouncing from one foster home to the next.

When she was 18, she was finally given the package her parents had instructed their lawyer to only release to her if they died, on Emma's 18th birthday. It was in that package that she found out the Swans, the only parents she'd ever known, weren't her biological parents. They had adopted her when she was only a week old. After spending a year or so angry and trying to come to terms with the lie she'd lived for so long, Emma had finally realized that her parents would always be her parents, regardless of blood, but she was also developing a curiosity about the parents who had given her away. So, she began to look for her biological parents.

She hadn't realized how hard it would be until she ran into the brick wall of red tape when she tried to get her adoption record unsealed. Emma spent years trying to find a way around the wall, but she didn't have the right contacts to properly search for them…especially if they didn't want to be found.

It wasn't until she was in DC, after her year in Florida, that she met the woman who would change her life. Emma had met the perky blonde in a bar and they'd hit it off. They had become fast friends and Emma was happy for the first time in a long while. Despite the serious nature of her job as an FBI agent, Jennie had a friend who was a world class hacker. She introduced Emma to her friend and had managed to convince her to tell the hacker about her search for her parents. It had taken the computer genius three hours to find the information that Emma hadn't even been able to find in her seven years of that Emma could' hacker about her search for her parents. It had

So, armed with the information, Emma had packed her stuff into her yellow VW bug, said goodbye to her new friends with the promise to keep in touch and headed north towards Maine…which is where Jennie's friend's information said her biological mother was from. Now here she was, driving to a town she'd never heard of, looking for a woman who had tossed her away when she was only a day old.

Emma didn't know what she hoped to find when she got to Storybrook, but she knew that if she didn't at least go looking, she'd spend the rest of her life kicking herself over it.

Emma smiled as she saw a sign on the side of the road that said 'Welcome to Storybrook'. She picked up the speed when she noticed she was going to have to go through at least another ten minutes of forest before seeing a town. Emma was suddenly eager to see the town where her birth mother lived.

* * *

Regina Mills, Mayor of Storybrook, had just dropped her son, Henry, off at school for the day and was on her way to her office in City Hall. Storybrook wasn't that big of a town so Regina had parked her car at City Hall and walked Henry to school, planning to stop by Granny's Diner on her way back to grab a coffee and a muffin before starting her day at work.

Regina loved being the Mayor but some days were harder than others to make herself leave her cozy bed for her office across town. As she walked, Regina took a moment to reflect on everything that had happened over the last ten years since she'd returned to her hometown, pregnant and for all intents and purposes…widowed.

There wasn't a day that went by that she didn't think of Daniel and wonder how her life might be different if he hadn't died in that fire. Regina knew one thing for certain, she wouldn't be living here in Storybrook.

Over the years, she had raised her son and lived her life, working as a private attorney on behalf of her parents, dealing mostly with contracts and things like that, since there wasn't much crime in Storybrook there wasn't much need for criminal lawyers. Still, Regina managed to make the best of it and she had Henry to help her move on with her life.

As much as she might've wanted to, she couldn't allow herself to sink into a deep depression over Daniel's death because her son needed her to be there for him. So she'd grieved her loss and then she had begun to look ahead, to the future, to all the stories she would tell her son about his father. She had kept her promise to Daniel's mom and had sent her pictures of Henry almost every month until the older woman had succumbed to breast cancer when Henry was only 4.

Regina's own parents had gone down in a plane crash a year later when Henry was five and they had decided to go away for a second honeymoon. Regina had again been devastated but, knowing her son needed her to be strong, she had forged ahead and moved on after the memorial service.

Soon after her parents' death, Regina ran for the office of Mayor that had been held by her mother. She'd won in a landslide and she had been Mayor ever since. No one ever even thought of running against her anymore, she had the town on her side by then.

Regina was so lost in her memories of the past, she didn't notice the yellow VW bug flying at her until she heard the loud squeal of brakes. Luckily, the car managed to stop just inches from Regina's legs. Startled, she jumped back a step and ended up losing her balance and landing on her ass in the middle of the street.

Emma was out of her car in a flash after throwing it in park and she rushed over to the woman on the ground. She reached a hand down to help the woman up as she began to apologize, "Oh my God I am so sorry. I don't know what happened. I tried to stop but the brakes didn't respond at first and then they finaly did and…are you hurt? I am so sorry." Emma was babbling but she didn't care, she'd been scared when the brakes on her car hadn't reacted at first, and when she saw the woman in her path she slipped from scared to panicked to desperate as she pumped the brakes. They finally reacted and she managed to stop before she hit the woman but Emma was still freaked out over the near miss.

Regina stood up, refusing help from the babbling blond woman who had exited the car. She looked at the woman and didn't recognize her, surmising the woman wasn't from around her.

Before she could say anything, Sheriff Graham Hunter came running over from Granny's where he'd just had his coffee, and said, "What happened? Madam Mayor are you alright?"

Emma groaned to herself as she heard the cop refer to the woman as Mayor. Just her luck she almost killed the Mayor!

Regina turned to Graham, whom she had gone to high school with and frowned, "I'm fine Graham, no thanks to this idiot. I want her arrested for reckless driving."

Emma's eyes widened, she couldn't believe it! She was going to be arrested for something that wasn't her fault?

Graham looked over at the newcomer, "Miss? What happened?" He wasn't about to arrest someone just because Regina told him to, he was going to hear her side first…then arrest her.

Emma explained again that she was driving into town and the brakes hadn't responded at first but then they did and she managed to stop before she hit the Mayor.

Graham nodded and said, "Well, why don't you come with me down to the station to fill out an accident report while I have your car towed to the local garage so they can take a look at the brakes? Sound fair?"

"Am I under arrest?"

"Not at the moment, but that can change if you don't wish to cooperate."

Emma took a moment to think about it and decided she was better off cooperating with the sheriff than getting arrested. So she nodded and said, "Okay then, lead the way Sheriff."

Regina watched the whole interaction and frowned before she pulled Graham aside, "I told you to arrest her not play nice!"

Graham looked at Regina and frowned, "I won't arrest someone without cause. No one was hurt and until the brakes are checked out, there isn't anything I can actually charge her for Regina. So just calm down and let me do my job."

Regina glared at him. "This _is_ your job _Sheriff_, to arrest people who break the law. This woman was obviously speeding if her car took so long to respond. I am pressing charges and want her arrested for almost running me over!"

Graham sighed, "You know as well as I do Regina, she hasn't broken the law yet. So relax and go to work. I'll keep you apprised of the details but for right now, there's nothing for you to do here."

Regina looked at him for a few moments before she realized he wouldn't be swayed and so she turned and started to walk away. She turned back to face the stranger and said, in a cold voice, "Provided you're not arrested, don't get too comfortable here Miss, you don't belong here and I want you gone as soon as possible."

With that, Regina walked away and headed for her office, foregoing her coffee at Granny's and deciding to make her secretary come and get it later. She just wanted to be in her office away from the prying eyes of the small crowd that had begun to gather to watch what was happening.

Emma watched the Mayor leave and sighed before she turned to the Sheriff, "Is she always so…" She didn't know how to answer that so she just gave a vage wave of her arm to indicate everything about that interaction.

Graham turned to the blonde and smiled, she was actually very beautiful now that he had a moment to really study her without Regina hovering. She also looked vaguely familiar but he couldn't figure out why. He sighed, "She's usually much worse." He smiled then, letting her know he was kidding.

Emma smiled, he was fairly good looking and if she swung that way she could see herself dating him, but alas, Emma had already accepted her sexuality a long time ago. She was comfortable with who she was and what she liked…and it was with a slight pang that she realized the woman who had stormed away just now in a fit of pique, was actually a perfect fit for the type of women Emma usually went for.

From her haughty attitude to her powersuit to the mini hissy fit she'd pitched when the Sheriff hadn't jumped to her command to arrest her, Regina was every inch the kind of woman Emma always fell for and she sighed again as she realized it wouldn't matter this time…not after how they'd met.

Graham led Emma to the station house as he called Billy's tow service to take the car in and have the brakes checked out. Emma followed him in silence, looking around the town. She realized that in a town as small as this one seemed to be, news of her encounter with the Mayor would most likely be the talk of the town.

Emma suddenly didn't want to be there. She didn't want her biological mother's first impression of her to be some reckless driver who had almost killed the Mayor and then ended up in the police station. She didn't think this would work in her favor to endear herself to the woman who had given birth to her.

* * *

Emma was sitting in a chair next to a desk as the Sheriff typed out the accident report. She hadn't been to many small towns, but she had seen her share of police stations, both on TV and in real life and this one seemed…empty. She turned to the Sheriff typing out his own report and asked, "So, where's everyone else?"

Graham looked up from the typewriter, "What do you mean?"

"I mean the others. The deputies, maybe a secretary or two to type out the reports and answer the phones. A detective or three to handle the big cases. Where are they?"

Graham sighed and sat back in his chair, the report forgotten for the moment, "There's only me…and one deputy who works nights. We don't get a lot of crime here Miss Swan. As for secretaries to type up reports and answer phones, I am capable of doing that stuff myself." He paused a moment, his curiosity suddenly taking over for a moment, "So what brings you to Storybrook?"

Emma shrugged, not yet ready to tell this stranger the truth. "Just passing through."

Graham chuckled, "Passing through? On your way to where, the ocean? Storybrook is pretty much the end of the line. We're on the coast of Maine that hugs the Atlantic Ocean with no road to Canada without leaving town. So again I ask, what brings you to my town?"

Emma sighed, she looked around to make sure they were alone before she turned back to the Sheriff, "Fine, if you really must know, I'm looking for someone. But I don't want to give away that I'm looking for this person until I find them and can figure out a way to make contact."

Graham didn't say anything, he just looked at her. He was trying to decide if this woman was a danger to someone in his town.

Emma realized he wasn't going to say anything so she said, "I'm not looking to hurt anyone or anything like that and I am _not _a stalker or anything. I just…it's a delicate matter and I would rather not go barreling in like the proverbial bull in a china shop, okay?"

Graham took that in, "Okay that sounds reasonable. Who is this person? I know everyone in town I can point you in the right direction."

Emma looked at him, skeptical of his easy offer to help her. "Why would you do that? You don't even know me."

Graham shrugged, "I know the people of my town. If the one you're looking for can't handle you, I'll tell you and I'll insist on being there when you make contact…to protect that person. Otherwise, I'm just a very helpful person."

Emma took a few moments to think about his offer. It seemed fair and reasonable, she just didn't want to have to tell him about her reason to see who she was looking for before she had a chance to tell her biological mother first. It seemed only fair she be the first to know. Still, he might be able to shave a day or two off her search. Emma made up her mind and said, "Alright, the person I am looking for is Eva White." That was the name on the birth certificate that Jennie's hacker friend had managed to dig up.

Graham frowned, he didn't recognize the name, however, "There's no one here by the last name White…but there's Eva Blanchard. Though I don't suppose there's a chance it's the same person. I don't recall anyone here ever going by the last name White."

Emma thought about that and realized that sometimes a coincidence is more than what it appears to be. It's entirely possible that this Eva Blanchard was in fact Eva White…maybe White was a maiden name before she married, or it was an alias to further muddy the trail in case Emma ever went looking for her.

"It's worth a try I suppose. Do you know where I can find this Eva Blanchard?"

Graham frowned as the memory came back to him of that day so long ago. "She um, she passed away in 1994, heart attack. I'm sorry. Her husband died seven years later of a stroke. The only Blanchard left in town is their daughter, Mary Margaret…she's a teacher at the local elementary school."

Emma did the math in her head and realized that if this woman _was_ her biological mother, she'd died when Emma was 7…a year after her parents had been killed by that drunk driver. Emma frowned.

"Oh…okay. Um, how long do you think it will take the garage to look at my car?" Now that she knew her biological mother was dead, Emma's only thought was to get out of this town as fast as she could. She wasn't interested in meeting the woman who might be her sister. Emma only wanted to find her mother and she had…a bit too late but now she knew. She could go back to DC and stay with Jennie for a bit before planning her next move.

Graham frowned, "Um, there's a bit of a backlog at Billy's…he's the only mechanic they have, so it might be tomorrow before he gets to your car. Sorry."

Emma sighed, seemed she was stuck in this town until tomorrow. "Okay, well…is there a motel or something here? A place I can rent a room for the night if I'm going to be stuck here until tomorrow?"

"Sure. Granny's Bed & Breakfast, it's right next door to the diner. Let me finish this report and I'll take you to the garage to get your things from your car then to Granny's, okay?"

"Okay…take your time I'm just going to sit here and wait. Not like I got anything else to do." Emma pulled out her smartphone and began playing Solitaire while she waited for the sheriff to finish his report. Idly, she wondered if she would be able to make it until tomorrow without running into the Mayor or the woman the sheriff had mentioned, the teacher who could potentially be related to her. Emma hoped to avoid everyone she could. She wanted to be gone from this place before anyone knew why she'd been there in the first place.

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**AN2: I changed some of Emma's background because well...it fits the story still to come but also because I wanted to give her something she could think back on with a smile...the Swans. Also, technically speaking...Jennie and her hacker friend ****_could_**** possibly be JJ and Garcia from Criminal Minds but then again...it might not be them. As of right now I am not laying any claim to Jennie and her hacker friend. Just wanted to help Emma find her birth mom. So yeah...I changed it so Mary Margaret is her sister, not her mom...helps with the aging. Hope you all liked it. **

**Reviews feed my writer's ego so...FEED ME SEYMOUR! **


	3. Best Laid Plans

**AN: Even though she rents the room for the night, it's still mid-morning. Emma got to town in the morning around 8 or 8:30 and spent a few hours in the police station before being taken to her car for her things then to Granny's to rent a room. So lunch is totally the next logical step. Sorry if anyone is confused by that. Also, if anyone was hoping for a quick reveal about WHY Emma is in town and why she's looking for Eva Blanchard...sorry but it's not gonna happen quick. Enjoy! **

**PS. I decided to make 'White' be Eva's maiden name before she married Leopold Blanchard. Hehehe...just letting that out there.**

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**Chapter 2: Best Laid Plans**

Emma was resting on the bed in the room she had managed to rent for the night at Granny's Bed & Breakfast, thinking about where she was going to go from here. She came to this tiny little town hoping to find her mother…only to find out the woman had been dead for the last 18 years.

It was a discouraging setback…to say the least. Still, Emma wondered if her initial idea of leaving town was the right course of action. According to the Sheriff, somewhere in this little town, she had a sister.

Emma had never really had siblings. The other kids in the foster homes didn't count in her book because she had never really bonded with any of them. She had often wondered what it would've been like to have a sibling, an older brother who might stick up for her, a sister to share secrets with, or even a younger sibling that could look up to her.

After about a half hour of these thoughts, her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since just before she'd driven into town, when she had stopped for gas and microwave burrito.

Emma sat up and remembered the elderly lady who had identified herself as none other than Granny herself saying there was a diner just next door. Emma got up and decided it would have to do for lunch.

Emma made her way over to the diner and when she walked inside, she had to grin. The place just screamed small town. The formica tables, the red leather stools by the counter, even the pay phone that was tucked in an alcove near the back of the room next to the restroom signs. Who even still used payphones these days?

Emma looked around, wondering if there was some kind of rule about waiting to be seated but she only saw one waitress on duty, behind the counter.

Ruby Lucas looked up from the order she was taking when the bell above the door signaled another customer and she smiled when she saw who it was…someone new. Ruby took a moment while the new comer looked around the diner to really look at the pretty blonde and she liked what she saw.

Ruby was happily dating the Sheriff, but that didn't mean she couldn't look when someone that good looking came into the diner…even if it was a woman. When it seemed like the blonde was waiting to be seated and Ruby called out, "Just sit anywhere hun, I'll be right with you!"

Emma heard her and just nodded before she looked around and decided on an empty booth and sat down. Before too long, the waitress was at the table and handing her a menu with a smile on her face, "So, you're not from around here." It wasn't a question but Emma nodded anyway.

"No just um, passing through. So what's good here?" Emma lifted the menu a little, hoping to distract the waitress, who now that Emma really looked at her, was very pretty with long dark brown hair with red streaks and a very friendly smile.

Ruby just kept grinning, willing to let the blond off the hook for now about where she was passing through to since this town was pretty much a dead end…unless she was heading into the Atlantic. "Everything is really good. Granny is the best cook. So do you need a minute to look over the menu?"

"Um…one second." Emma gave a cursory glance at the options but as soon as her eyes saw the burgers section she knew what she wanted. "I'll have the cheeseburger deluxe combo with fries, well done and a hot chocolate with whipped cream and…um, cinnamon if you have it please."

Ruby was impressed as she wrote down the order, most people usually take forever to read the whole menu before ordering the same thing every time anyway. "Coming right up Miss…"

"Emma. Emma Swan."

Ruby smiled, "It'll be ready in 10 minutes, Emma."

"Thanks."

Ruby left and Emma watched her go, letting her dirty mind run wild as she watched the pretty waitress in the really short shorts walk towards the kitchen. Emma wasn't a slut but she did know how to have a good time and she was unapologetic about how she spent her time. She liked sex and more importantly, she liked sex with women…of all shapes and sizes. Emma turned back to the table when the waitress disappeared from her sight and grinned.

Her grin vanished when the bell above the door went off and she looked up in reflex and saw the Mayor walking into the diner. Emma's good mood evaporated as she remembered the incident from earlier. She really hoped the other woman didn't see her and decide to talk to her. The last thing Emma needed was another run-in with the Mayor.

Regina walked into Granny's to order her usual lunch, to go, and as she waited for Ruby to finish with another customer to take her order she looked around the diner in boredom. There was the usual customers, people who regularly had lunch at the diner, and Regina smiled, taking comfort in the familiar scene, until her eyes landed on the blonde hair of someone new. She frowned as she recognized the blonde from earlier who had nearly run her over. Regina's fairly decent mood evaporated as she watched the blonde sitting there just waiting for her food, like she belonged there.

Before she knew it, Regina was standing next to the table where the blonde was sitting. She couldn't keep the venom out of her voice as she asked, "Aren't you supposed to be on your way out of town by now?"

Emma looked up at the Mayor who had walked up to her table and grinned, "Why? Because you say so? Sorry lady, you're not the boss of me." Emma sat back, wondering if she really should be getting so cheeky with the Mayor of this small town, but then she figured, if she really was going to leave tomorrow, she might as well have some fun.

Regina was fuming on the inside, though her facial expression never changed, "Because you don't belong here Miss...?"

Emma smiled, "Swan, Emma. And you are Regina, the Mayor right?"

Regina's face turned cold, "It's Mayor Mills to you Miss Swan."

Emma nodded, "Well, Mayor Mills, as I said before you're not the boss of me so I will stay in this town for as long as I want and when I get bored, I'll leave. Good day to you."

Ruby's timing was perfect as she walked up with Emma's food and placed it on the table. She then turned to the Mayor, "Mayor Mills, will you be joining Emma for lunch?"

Regina turned cold eyes to the dark haired waitress, "of course not Miss Lucas. I'll take my usual lunch order to go." Once Ruby nodded and left, Regina turned to Emma again, "Miss Swan, I suggest you leave as soon as your car is cleared to go, because otherwise, I'll make sure your time in this town is as unpleasant as I can make it. Good day."

Regina turned and walked to the counter to wait for her lunch, pointedly ignoring the blonde she'd just walked away from. She couldn't explain why, but there was something about the blonde stranger that she didn't like and she wanted her gone before she had to fully analyze why she had taken such a sudden dislike to…Miss Emma Swan.

Emma watched her leave and for a moment, she wondered if all that venom was really from her near miss earlier. There had to be another reason why the Mayor was trying to drive away a potential tourist. After a moment, Emma shrugged her shoulders and dismissed the ponderings from her mind as she began to eat her lunch. She wasn't going to be in town much longer anyway so she decided not to think about it too much.

* * *

After lunch, Emma decided to take a walk around the town, see where her biological mother had lived. She had never really liked small towns, the entire feel of them always giving her an almost claustrophobic feeling, but this place…was different. There was something about this town that felt almost like…home.

Emma shook her head at her weird thoughts, dismissing them as a byproduct of knowing her birth mother had lived here.

Emma walked all over the town, her keen eyes taking note of all the small shops, the street names, even the location of the Town Hall that most likely housed the Mayor's office and its distance from the bed and breakfast where she was going to be staying for the night.

After a few hours of aimless wandering, Emma found herself at the gates of what appeared to be a cemetery. She frowned, wondering why her feet had brought her here, then she realized that, maybe subconsciously, this was where she wanted to end up all along.

After finding out her birth mother was dead, Emma had decided that there was nothing left for her in this town. However, as she stood there staring into the graveyard, Emma had to wonder if maybe there was one last thing here for her. Emma took a deep breath and walked through the gateway into the cemetery.

She didn't know how she would find her birth mother's stone, she just decided to walk around until she did.

After a few moments, she noticed a mausoleum a few yards away and she turned in that direction, curious about who would have such a grand resting place in such a small town. When Emma was close enough to read the name on the outside of the building, she smirked as she realized who the monument belonged to: the Mills family.

Emma shook her head as she moved away, not willing to get too close to the building that housed the Mayor's ancestors.

Emma continued walking until she came across a tall white marble angel resting atop a white marble base. Emma was drawn to the statue, the clean white surface of the stone almost seemed to be calling to her.

When she got close enough, she read the names on the base of the statue and was surprised when she saw it was the marker for Leopold and Eva Blanchard. This was where her birth mother was buried. Emma took a moment to let that information sink is as she stood there staring at the names and the dates.

Emma wasn't sure how long she stood there staring at the stone when she felt someone walk up next to her. She turned to look at the newcomer and was met with chocolate brown eyes full of sadness and…curiosity.

Emma offered up a small smile as she pointed to the stone, "Did you know her? I mean them?"

The woman, who Emma could now see had short, almost black hair in a pixie cut and was holding a bouquet of roses, smiled softly as she nodded, "Yes, they were my parents. I'm sorry, I'm being a bit rude. My name is Mary Margaret Blanchard-Nolan. I've never seen you in town before, who are you and why are you at my parents grave? Did you know them?"

Emma didn't know what to say to that, she suddenly realized that she was looking at her sister and she couldn't think of anything to say. She wasn't about to just blurt out the truth but she couldn't think of anything else at the moment, so she sighed and said, "No, I didn't know them. I was just…walking around. I'm not staying in town beyond tomorrow. I'm sorry for intruding."

Emma turned to leave but she didn't get two steps before she felt a hand on her arm stopping her. She turned to face the brunette who stopped her, curious.

Mary Margaret didn't know why she stopped the stranger from leaving but there was something about this woman that seemed to call out to her. "Wait, um…I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to leave. It's just…today would've been their 35th wedding anniversary. I just came to bring them the roses that my father always gave to my mother on their anniversary. Please don't go."

Emma raised an eyebrow, "I don't want to intrude on a family moment, so I'll just go now. It was…nice meeting you Mrs. Blanchard-Nolan. Have a nice day." With that Emma turned and walked away.

Mary Margaret let her as she realized the blonde was determined to leave. She made a mental note to ask around about her, she knew Ruby or Graham would have the information she needed. There was something about the other woman that Mary Margaret couldn't ignore and couldn't get out of her head.

She placed the roses in the holder that she'd had added the first time her parents' anniversary had rolled around, not wanting their roses to have to lay on the ground, and then said a small prayer for the parents who had raised her and loved her. She then stepped away and began walking out of the cemetery, suddenly eager to see Ruby at the diner.

Emma stood behind a tree, hidden from view, as she watched Mary Margaret place the roses and then walk away. Her eyes followed the woman out of the cemetery until she disappeared from view. Emma turned and leaned back against the tree. She couldn't explain it but, just knowing the other woman was her sister, made Emma want to get to know her. Emma looked up to the sky for a moment, then over to the white marble angel with the red roses before, against her better judgment, she made the decision that, regardless of what the cranky bitch mayor thought, Emma was going to stay in town and try to find a way to get to know Mary Margaret Blanchard-Nolan. Maybe then, she might finally get some answers, and maybe even some closure and she could go on with her life, knowing why she was given up for adoption.

Emma took a deep breath then pushed off the tree and began to walk back to the angel. She stood only a few feet away when she looked up into the face on the statue and whispered, "Now to figure out the definition of family…if I can."

TBC...

* * *

**So...hope I did okay with Emma and Mary Margaret's first meeting. Nothing too major revealed yet but like I said, that's gonna take a wee bit of time and...finesse. **

**Comments and reviews feed the writer's ego and fuel more updates-FEED ME!**


	4. Too Many Questions

**Chapter 3: Too Many Questions**

After leaving the cemetery, Mary Margaret found herself heading towards Granny's diner. She had taken the day off from her job at the school, allowing a substitute to take over for the day, because of the significance of this day. Today, her parents would've been married for 35 years if death hadn't taken them so soon.

Mary Margaret wasn't under any illusions when it came to her parents' marriage though, she knew that by the time a heart attack took her mother from her, the love that once existed between her parents was gone. When her father had passed away seven years later, she found herself wondering why he'd continued to bring flowers to her mother's grave on their anniversary, though she had taken up the tradition upon his death.

Mary Margaret sat down in one of the booths in the diner and waited. She knew that Graham always stopped by after his shift at the station to see Ruby for a bit before heading home. She didn't have to wait long before the familiar form of the town's sheriff sauntered into the diner.

Mary Margaret waited until after Graham had greeted his girlfriend before she called him over to her table. He joined her and smiled at the sweet school teacher.

"Hello Mrs. Nolan."

Mary Margaret smiled at the sheriff, "Hi Graham. How was your day?"

Graham looked at the school teacher and frowned, she had never really been one for small talk, at least not with him anyway. The fact that he was dating her best friend was the main reason the two of them ever even talked at all. Still, he was willing to stay and talk, maybe find out what Mary Margaret wanted. "It was…interesting. How was yours?"

Mary Margaret shrugged, "It was okay. Today was the anniversary so…yeah."

Graham nodded. In a town as small as Storybrooke, where everyone knew everyone else, the significance of this day was well known. Everyone was aware of what today meant to the school teacher and they usually gave her the necessary space to deal with her grief. Mary Margaret was, hands down, the most liked person in town. Her parents had owned Blanchard Industries which owned the cannery as well as the fishing boats and they were responsible for over 80% of the jobs in town. After Leopold Blanchard's death, Mary Margaret's husband, David Nolan, took over as CEO of Blanchard Industries because Mary Margaret was more invested in being a teacher.

Before Graham could say anything about the anniversary, Ruby walked up to the table and smiled at her best friend, "So, how did it go at the cemetery today Mary Margaret?"

Mary Margaret had already told her about her day, and she knew that this was Ruby's way of bringing it up around Graham so Mary Margaret could see his reaction. They had been best friends since first grade, Ruby knew her almost better than she knew herself sometimes.

Mary Margaret smiled, "Actually, it wasn't so bad this year…there was someone there that I didn't recognize. Someone new," she turned to Graham with a curious look on her face, "know anything about that, Sheriff?"

Graham cocked his head as he thought about what she said, "Let me guess, female, blonde hair, red leather jacket?"

Mary Margaret just nodded. Ruby grinned as she sat down next to her best friend, eager to hear anything about the blonde she'd served earlier, knowing Graham might have more information.

Graham smiled, "She's just in town for today. She'll be gone by tomorrow."

"Okay, but who is she?"

Graham sighed as he looked around to make sure no one was close enough to eavesdrop. "Her name is Emma Swan. She came to town looking for someone but she wouldn't tell me why. And she…almost hit the Mayor with her car this morning."

Ruby and Mary Margaret both frowned but it was Ruby who asked, "Did she say _who_ she was looking for?"

Graham squirmed a bit, not sure if he should disclose that part but when he saw the look on Ruby's face, he gave in, knowing he'd never be able to keep it from her. His eyes shifted over to Mary Margaret before he sighed and said, "The name she gave me was…Eva White."

The silence that followed his words stretched out for at least two minutes before Mary Margaret broke it, "Eva White? White was my mother's maiden name. This Emma Swan came here looking for my mother? Why?"

"She wouldn't tell me why." Graham was the only one who noticed the door to the diner opening up and the woman in question walking in, "But now's your chance to ask her." He motioned discreetly with his head towards the door.

Mary Margaret and Ruby both turned towards the door and saw the blonde woman that Graham said was named Emma. Ruby smiled at the sight but Mary Margaret just frowned.

Mary Margaret stood up and left the booth, walking over to the blonde stranger and, without a word, grabbing her arm and dragging her to the back of the diner not stopping until they were standing in the alcove next to the pay phone.

Mary Margaret looked the woman in the eyes and, with a serious face and steel in her voice, she asked, "Why are you looking for my mother?"

* * *

In her office in City Hall, Regina Mills was just signing the last document that needed her signature when there was a knock on her door. Regina glanced at the clock on the wall and smiled when she realized who it could be. "Come in."

The door opened and in walked her son, Henry, smiling as he looked at his mom. "Hey mom. You almost done?"

Regina nodded, "Just finishing up dear. Have a seat, I'll only be a moment."

Henry went over to the small sitting area where there was a couch and two arm chairs and he threw himself down on the couch, stretching out and getting comfortable.

Regina smiled at her son's little ritual. He always stretched out on the couch, no matter what and it was comforting for her to see it. "So how was school today?" Regina asked as she finished sending the few last minute emails that she'd been putting off.

Henry frowned, "It was boring. We had a substitute today and she made us spend the whole day doing work sheets and reading." Usually, his regular teacher, Mrs. Nolan, would give them free time if they finished their work, or they would have an arts and crafts project if they got through their spelling drills. Substitutes ruined the routine of the class.

Regina frowned, "A substitute? Why-?" Regina started to question it but then she noticed the calendar and she remembered what today was and she closed her mouth.

There may not be any love lost between Regina and Mary Margaret Blanchard-Nolan, but she could at least respect the meaning of this day. After all, she knew what it was like to lose both your parents and the pain that never really went away from that kind of loss. "Never mind." Regina paused a moment to smile at her son, "So, Granny's for dinner?"

Henry smiled and nodded, happy to be going to Granny's for dinner. Once a week, his mom treated him to dinner at the diner rather than the extremely healthy but still delicious meals she cooked. At the diner, his mom let him order anything he wanted and she didn't try to lecture him about the grease and calories and cholesterol. Henry loved it.

Regina smiled at her son's enthusiasm for their diner outings. She was very aware of how healthy the food her son ate was and she recognized that once a week, it was okay to let him eat something fun, like a burger or chicken fingers.

Regina gathered her things and motioned for Henry to follow her out the door. "Come on dear, let's get dinner."

Together, mother and son walked out to Regina's Mercedes and they climbed into the car and drove to the diner.

* * *

Emma was pressed up against the wall of the alcove in the diner, staring into the eyes of the woman from the cemetery, Mary Margaret if her memory was correct. She was confused as to why the shorter woman had her pressed up against the wall asking her why she was looking for her mother.

Emma's mouth opened and closed twice before she regained her senses and sighed, "Who told you I was looking for your mother?"

Mary Margaret took a step back, not expecting to be put on the defensive, "That, um, that's not important. Answer the question, Miss Swan."

Emma frowned, "How do you know my name?"

At that moment Ruby stepped up next to Mary Margaret and gave Emma a sweet smile, "It's a small town Emma, people talk."

Emma's shoulders slumped and she sighed again, "Yeah well, _people_ may talk but I don't have to so, I'm out of here." Emma shouldered past the two women and began walking towards the front door, not in the mood to explain herself to anyone…most especially not to the woman who was allegedly her sister.

On her way to the door, Emma breezed right by the woman she'd come to recognize as the Mayor of this small town, and she was with a small boy. Emma spared a glance at the boy, smiling back when he offered a grin of greeting, before she walked out the door and crossed the small patio area before reaching the small white fence at the edge of the patio area. She leaned against the edge of the gate and looked up to the sky, sighing as she thought back to the look on the other woman's face.

A part of her wanted to go right back in there and tell that woman everything, and possibly learn a thing or two about her birth mother, but the rest of her was too angry and hurt to follow through.

It was one thing to know you were given up for adoption, most likely because for whatever reason your parents couldn't keep you…it was another to realize that your birth mother had kept another daughter and you, for whatever reason, weren't good enough to keep…to love.

Emma had gotten over the usual adopted kid syndrome a long time ago, or so she thought. Finding out that the parents she thought were her birth parents had lied to her for the first six years of her life, had thrown all her hard won peace over being in foster care and a throwaway kid, out the window.

Emma was still leaning against the gate when she heard the door to the diner opening. She looked up and saw Mary Margaret walking towards her, the look on her face was determined. Emma's head dipped down in defeat as she waited for the other woman to reach her. She decided she was done running, if this woman wanted a confrontation, then dammit she would have one.

* * *

As they sat in a booth and waited for the food they had ordered, Regina took a moment to think back on what had happened when they'd entered the diner. She saw the blonde from earlier leave the diner in a huff, but she'd stopped for a moment to smile down at Henry. Regina didn't know what to think about their interaction but she decided to keep an eye on the blonde and make sure she stayed away from her son until she was sure the blonde was gone from town.

* * *

**AN: This story was lightly inspired by the format of soap operas, so I am trying to do their cut between scenes. Don't know if I pulled it off but I'm trying. Enjoy! Also, Regina is a little different here than in canon because she never became the evil queen...she grieved her loss and had Henry to help her through it and she came out the other side a better person and mother (but she still has her snark and her 'tude). But she's better with her son. **


End file.
